Graduation in Lucas County: 2022 and 1942

All things being equal, 73 Chariton High School graduates will receive their diplomas on Sunday, May 15, commencing at 3 p.m., passing a milestone into a world that their parents had hoped would be filled with less unrest and uncertainty.

That was the case 80 years ago, too, when more than twice that number of graduates received their diplomas in Lucas County --- on Thursday evening, May 14, 1942, as World War II raged and a majority of the young men faced military service.

In Chariton, the main block of the 1923 high school building --- enlarged a number of times --- still looks much the same, but much has changed.

Today, Lucas County has an estimated population of 8,549 and but one school district and one high school --- in Chariton. 

In 1942, Lucas County's population was 14,500 and 184 graduates were scheduled to receive their diplomas at six high schools --- Chariton, Russell, Derby, Lucas, Williamson and Norwood. The landscape still was divided into dozens and dozens of small rural school districts.

Here's a report on the 1942 commencements as published in The Chariton Herald-Patriot on the day itself:

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Six high school commencements will be held in Lucas county this evening (Thursday, May 14, 1942), starting at eight o'clock.

Rev. Fred Miller will deliver the address in Chariton before 109 high school and 13 junior college graduates. Twenty-six seniors will receive diplomas at Russell with J.L. Horsley of Simpson college at Indianola delivering the address.

Eight seniors will graduate at Williamson. Judge H.V. Levis is the principal speaker. Derby exercises will be held for eleven graduates and Dr. Charles N. Burrows, chairman of the division of social sciences and head of the department of sociology at Simpson college, will be the main speaker.

Rev. A.P. Landgraf will speak at the Lucas commencement where seven will graduate. Ten seniors at Norwood will hear County Attorney Oscar A. Stafford give the commencement address.